Transport Allowance during Nationwide Lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic – Finmin Clarification
No,21/3/2020-E.II (B)
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure
North Block, New Delhi.
Dated the 1St December, 2020.
OFFICE MEMORENDUM
Subject: Clarification regarding admissibility of Transport Allowance during Nationwide Lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The undersigned is directed to refer to this Department’s 0.M, No. 21/5/2017-E.11(3) dated 07.07.2017 regarding grant of Transport Allowance to Central Government employees wherein conditions have been mentioned regarding admissibility of Transport Allowance.
2. Several references are being received in this Department seeking clarification regarding admissibility of Transport Allowance during nation-wide Lockdown from 23rd March to 20th April and further upto 20th May 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic, as during this period various employees could not attend their offices,
3. The matter has been considered in this Department and the following is clarified:
i. Transport Allowance is granted to Central Government employees to compensate them for the cost incurred on account of commuting between residence and office. The Central Government employees, who could not attend office in a whole calendar month during Lockdown period, are not eligible to draw Transport Allowance for that month as these employees had not incurred any expenditure for commuting office.
ii. The Central Government employees, who could not attend office and worked from home in a whole calendar month, are not eligible to draw Transport Allowance for that month as these employees had not incurred any expenditure for commuting office.
iii. Physically disabled employees and pregnant women employees who were exempted to attend office and were directed to work from home during exempted period as per instructions issued by DOP&T, are not eligible to draw Transport Allowance during exemption period as these employees have not incurred any expenditure for commuting office.
iv. The non-entitled officers/officials, who are temporarily provided with facility of official car for commuting between office and residences throughout the whole calendar month on account of non-availability of public transport facility due to COVID-19 pandemic, are also not eligible to draw Transport Allowance.
4. This is issued with the approval of the Secretary (Expenditure),
Hindi version is attached.
(Nirmala Dev)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India